‘When I got back from my count, you were sat there, just like you are now. Same time of the morning too. Our one moment together before everyone wanted a piece of you. I remember thinking there wasn’t anything we couldn’t do together.’
A New Dawn is a brand new play by former political adviser and political lobbyist, Olly Kendall. It examines some of the UK’s current political challenges and the complex relationship between personal and political loyalties through the prism of Lucy and Emma's relationship - two MPs who are married but recently estranged. Set during the week of a general election, a breaking story - and the way they handle it - will determine the future of both the country and Emma and Lucy’s relationship.
Its central themes about the challenges for politicians of acting with honesty, decency and integrity at a time of such division and with so much at stake make this piece feel particularly prescient.
Dates, venues and tickets:
1) King's Head Theatre (Islington) 20th October, 3.30pm / 7pm. Click here to book: tiny.cc/gi9adz
2) Union Theatre (Southwark) 21st October, 7.30pm. TICKETS SOLD OUT: tiny.cc/sp9adz
The cast:
- Sue Appleby (Rutherford and Son, National Theatre) as Emma.
- Sarah Leigh (RUSH, Imagine Entertainment / Ron Howard) as Lucy.
- Mark Donald (The Seagull, National Theatre) as Jon.
Olly Kendall, said: "This play is really a love letter to both our politics and our country. At a time of such extraordinary division it looks at our politics through the lives of two decent people striving to make a difference but who must confront exceptionally difficult decisions about both themselves and the country. At its heart it asks whether truth can or should be sacrificed in pursuit of a better life?
"I hope this play has been written with a humanity and a compassion for the people who work in politics. Whilst I can’t promise that the play is important I believe the themes which is explores are vital: examining the challenge for the political class to rediscover the bond of trust with the people which feels lost.
"This is not a play about Remain or Leave or about any one political party - in fact I have created a whole new political party specifically to be able to explore trust in our politics and how we want to see ourselves as a country without the baggage of party politics weighing it down."
